Folder for cloth strips.



No. 756,451. PATENTBD APR. 5, 1904- A. L. ADAMS.

FOLDER FOR CLOTH STRIPS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 29, 1901.

N0 MODEL.

WITNESSES. INVENTOR.

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Patented April 5, 1904. if

PATENT ()EEIcE.

ABRAHAM L. ADAMS, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

FOLDER FOR CLOTH STRIPS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 756,451, dated April 5, 1904.

Application filed July 29, 1901.

To a, whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ABRAHAM L. ADAMs, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Bridgeport,in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folders for Cloth Strips,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved folding device adapted to fold over the edges of cloth strips, and it is especially adapted to fold strips from cloth that has been cut on a bias, as it gives a complete fold without stretching the strip or tape.

To enable others to understand my invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents a broken view of one side of a machine-frame carrying rotary cutters, ironing-rolls, sectional view of a tensionrod, and an end elevation of my improved folder in operative position. Fig. 2 is a broken detail upper plan view of the folder,showing a strip of biascut cloth passing through the same with its supporting-bar removed. Fig. 3 is a broken detail view of the under side of the folder with its supporting-bar removed. Fig. 4 is a broken detail side elevation of the folder and its supporting-bar. Fig. 5 is a detail end elevation in cross-section through line a of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a detail broken side elevation of the folder with its supporting-bar removed, showing a plate attached to the under surface, thus adapting its use to a sewingmachine.

Its construction and operation lows:

1 represents the folder having a series of holes 2 therethrough for the admission of the strips of cloth. Each of these holes has the beveled or countersunk mouth 3 and the rounded corner 4 at the bottom, as seen at Figs. 3 and 5.

5 is a channel way formed transversely across the lower face of the folder immediately under and of the same width as the holes 2, thus leaving the ribs 6 between said holes, the object of which is to maintain the proper width and guide the folded strip between the ironing-roll or other device adapted to fasten the folded edges firmly down upon the body are as fol- Serial No. 70,025. (No model.)

of the strip. 7 is a cross-baror support secured to the arms 8 of said folder, whose projecting ends are calculated to temporarily rest on side supports or lugs projecting from the sides of the machine. 9, Fig. 1, shows one of said projecting lugs attached to the machineframe 10.

11 and 12 are rotary cutters journaled in the side frames of the machine, which cutters are adapted to cut the cloth 13 into the required number of strips and of the required width. 14 is one of said strips (see also Fig. 2) passing through one of the holes in the folder. The folder is inclined to the horizontal line passing between the cutters 11 and 12 and the ironing-rollers 15 and 16, so that when the strip 14 passes through the hole 2 it will be drawn into the channel-way 5 and from thence into the ironing-rolls, where the turned-over sides or edges 14 are ironed down. After the strips have passed through the ironing-rolls they may be carried up to a windingarbor (not shown) and spooled, in which case the upper roll is corrugated, as shown. The beveled mouth of the said holes assists in giving the initial turn to the edges of the strip and also prevents friction. The rounded edges 1 of said holes also enables the strips to pass freely through the folder.

While my improved folder, as before stated, is capable of folding strips cut lengthwise or with the warp-threads, it is especially adapted to fold strips cut diagonally or on a bias with such warp-threads. Strips of this character are made into tape by folding over the edges and are used quite extensively in the manufacture of corsets and other like garments as binding material, owing to its ability to stretch when carried around a corner. great care must be exercised in folding the strips, so as not to stretch them, as they will not fully recover their normal condition if so stretched. To avoid this, the folder is so constructed that there is little or no friction on the strips during the operation of folding.

The angular position of the folder shown at Fig. 1 is to keep the'folded-over sides 14f of the strip intact by causing them to draw over the lower ironing roll 16. In other words, the angular position of the folder Therefore throws the strip out of a horizontal line and imparts a slight tension thereto as it draws over the ironing-roll. The folder is maintained in this angular position by means of the tensionrod 17 and its spring 18, interposed between the fixed collar 19 on said rod and the cross-piece 20. The rod 17 passes loosely through said cross-piece and is surmounted by the cap 17, which cap rests on said cross-piece when the folder is in its'normal position, as shown. This upper tension on the folder will also permit the seam 14! to go through without stretching the strip, as such seamis liable, especially when it is quite prominent, to clog in the folder, and then the' pulling action of the ironing-rolls is apt to strain too harden the strip. Whenever this occurs, the tendency will be to lift the folder and allow the seam to pass through, when the spring 18 will instantly return the folder to its normal position.

It will be observed that the upper ironingroll has the corrugated or knurled surface 15 and that the cloth strip after passing the rolls 15 and 16 hugs this corrugated surface sufficient to prevent the windingarbor (not shown) drawing or straining the strip while in the rolls. It will also be understood the rolls 15 and 16 do not come directly in contact with each other, but near enough to impart suflicient friction on the strip to draw it along.

In Fig. 6 is shown the holder having the plate 21 attached to its under surface. This construction permits its use in connection with an ordinary sewing-machine. The plate 21 in this case will prevent the strips dropping out of the channel-ways while they are being fed to the machinefor the purpose of stitching the strips to a garment.

It will be understoodthat I do not wish to be limited to the exact number of holes in the plate, as they may vary from one to more; nor do I wish to be confined to the exact shape of the mouth of said holes. Neither do I wish to be strictly confined to the exact construction of the tension device for maintaining the folder in its normal working position.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is.

1. The combination, in a device of the character described, of a folder having one or more holes therethroug'h to receive and fold strips of cloth, a support for said folder and a tension device to maintain said folder in its normal position.

2. A device, for folding strips of cloth, con sisting of a folder having one or more holes transversely therethrough, transverse channelways, a plate secured to the under side of said folder to close the mouth of said channel-ways,

' for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination, with a folder adapted to fold strips of cloth preparatory to theirbeing formed into spools, of ironing-rolls through which the strips pass after leaving the folder, one of said rolls having a roughened or slightlycorrugated surface the other being smooth, said rolls set out of contact with each other, said strips adapted to follow around and bear directly against the surface of said roughened roll so as to prevent any after strain, due to the spooling of said strips, interfering with the passage of said strips through the ironingrolls, for the purpose set forth.

Signed at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticutfthis 27th day of July, A. D. 1901.

ABRAHAM L. ADAMS.

Witnesses:

A. K. LOVELL, S. J. CHAFFEE. 

